The Mind's Isle: Searching for the Flying Barn Door

In the middle of December, my partner and I day-tripped to the Isle of Mull in Scotland. We journeyed in many layers, and with a concurrently ambitious wish list: to see our first eagle, and as much of the island as possible, all within the flash of daylight that was available to us.

The island is 30 miles from south to north, and so is about commutable by car; it is also home to the highest density of eagles in Europe, and so is a seductive place for allowing the usual pragmatic restraint to unravel into a dangerous thing for wildlife enthusiasts — hope. Because of their size, power, and pure aesthetic beauty, eagles are what we might affectionately call (and what some lesser-appreciated species in conservation might bitterly call) “charismatic”.